2000 - 2009: The Nerdpod's Decade That Was

In a few short hours, the first decade of the twenty-first century will come to a close.

Emotionally, I find it hard to believe. Just one glance at the nearly six-foot-tall young man who calls me "Dad", though, is enough to make it clear that ten years have, indeed, passed.

The ending of a decade feels very much like the ending of a chapter of a book. Lots of things happened, and some threads were started and even resolved, but the tale is still not finished.

Below are the biggest events in our lives in the chapter that was:

BILL OF HEALTH

Ten years ago, the biggest medical concerns on both SpousalGoddess' and my minds was weight loss. We dieted, we exercised, but for the life of us we couldn't seem to shed weight like our counterparts.

A decade on, that concern seems almost silly.

In 2005 I was diagnosed with three separate sleep disorders: Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Restless Leg Syndrom, and Shift Work Sleep Disorder. Any one of those issues is a challenge; all three together form a disability that has forced me to change careers not once, but twice in the past five years.

Fortunately, maintaining my health with this challenge is quite simple; I just need to sleep and work on a regular schedule. For that I feel blessed.

The other major medical condition in our family isn't quite as simple.

In April of 2009, SpousalGoddess was diagnosed with Relapse / Remission Multiple Sclerosis. This news has changed our lives entirely. We're adjusting to a world where stress has to be managed, where rest is a top priority, and where the national mantra -- "Push Yourself!"-- has to be a thing of the past.

More than anything, both diagnosis have made us realize how precious life is, and how every day has to count. It's made us more selective of what we do with our time, and more likely to say "No," than ever before. Neither development is a bad thing.


COMING OF AGE

Ten years ago, MonkeyDude was MonkeyBoy, and SportyGirl was a burbling bundle of hair and grins we lovingly called "The Alien".

While MonkeyDude's gentle nature already defined him, his social network was lacking. We lived in a tiny "1,100" square foot apartment that only reached those dimensions because the complex counted our parking space in the square footage. (No, I'm not kidding) Add in that we were in the not-so-friendly city of White Bear Lake, and the result was that we were always the outsiders.

In the decade that followed, MonkeyDude became a confident young man with a genuine set of marketable skills as a 3D artist, a talent for acting, and a hard work ethic. Meanwhile, The Alien became a beautiful young teenaged force of nature. Both strong and gentle in turns, she is every bit the daughter I'd hoped she would be.

I couldn't be more proud of my children if I tried. Sure, I'd hoped MonkeyDude's GPA would be higher, but I also know why he never seemed to be able to crack an "A" out of his Minnesotan instructors. (Besides, his ACT scores proved once-and-for-all that his grades did not reflect his knowledge.) Sporty Girl could keep a cleaner room, and be more conscientious about straightening up, but she's improving every month. Those are just nits, though. I'm lucky to have the kids that I do.

Most importantly, both of my kids have grown into people I enjoy being around. I count myself well and truly blessed for that.


A SMALL SLICE OF THE AMERICAN DREAM

The year 2000 was barely forty-eight hours old before SpousalGoddess and I started looking for homes. We'd come to realize that our apartment living in White Bear Lake was a rocket sled to nowhere, and opted to find a home closer to our workplace.

There followed three months of looking at homes in the Osseo area. We were unimpressed, both with the homes, and with the prices. Frustrated, we gave up the search.

As luck would have it, SpousalGoddess took a day off from work in April of 2000, and drove around what would be our new home city. She happened across a lovely townhome that was up for sale, and showed it to me.

Three months later, we moved in.

Nine months after that, we sold the townhome and moved into our current house.

It turned out that living in the townhome was like surviving in an expensive, 1,600 square foot apartment complex. Worse, within weeks of settling-in, our quiet next door neighbours were replaced by mouthy nurses who liked to bang on our bedroom walls during the day while SpousalGoddess and I had conversations. Those reasons -- along with elderly neighbor who actually glared at our kids when we said "Hello!" in the morning -- drove us back into the house hunting market.

Though the house we purchased wasn't perfect -- by a long shot -- it has been our kid's homes for most of the decade. Better still, the neighborhood has been fantastic, the kids Sporty Girl and MonkeyDude met became their friends, and, all in all, its been a pretty damned nice suburban existence.

Of course, now that MonkeyDude is looking to move out to college, we're starting to consider getting the place ready for sale. Though I'm not saddened by the prospect quite yet -- there's so much work to do that it's a little daunting -- I know that, when the day inevitably comes when we move on, the waterworks will flow freely.

More than anything, though, just having a place to call our home has been a gift. In an era when so many people have lost even that luxury, I can't help but be happy with what I have.


LIVING OUR DREAMS

Ten years ago, SpousalGoddess and I both wondered if we'd made a terrible mistake. We'd been in Minneapolis for over a year, and had yet to make a single friend. Our apartment was tiny and expensive, our work didn't pay that well, and we were just unhappy. How, then, would we make our world any better?

We did, of course. In the past ten years we:

• Co-produced a local horror TV show
• Became published writers
• Made movies, including a feature length project
• Performed on stage, both as ensemble and as leads
• Took and excelled in leadership roles at work
• Played board and RPG games around our home table
• Both owned our own businesses, which enjoyed genuine successes before the market turned

Not bad for a couple who was new to the area and friendless in 2000.

Of course, all of those dreams came at a cost: Time with our kids.

Fortunately, even the time away from the kids was productive. Both MonkeyDude and Sporty Girl learned first hand how TV was made, and as such are mostly immune to actor worship. They also got to see what running a business costs, both financially and emotionally.

Ironically enough, it's consistenly been Corporate America that has demanded the most time away from my kids. Given the utter lack of loyalty shown by said firms, I am understandbly very protective of my time with my kids now. Let the execs making seven figures give up their families. That's not for me.


REDEFINING FRIENDSHIPS

There isn't a single day that goes by where I'm not glad that I went to Orlando, Florida for four months in 2008. Not for the skills I learned there, though those were nice. No, what makes me face every day with a smile is one simple fact: Friends really do remain friends, no matter the time, the distance, or the disagreements. That's what Orlando reminded me of in 2008.

The reason I needed that reminder, sadly, is that many of the people whom we called "friends" in the past decade caused me to question that simple truth. Their behavior was utterly baffling, until I finally worked out the code that made Minneapolis "friendships" work.

Because of these experiences -- and more particularly, given the cold way in which our friendship with Mistress Betty and Gamma Dragon just stopped without so much as an explanation -- I've since become very guarded with people in the region. I've been burned once too often, thanks.

Fortunately, there was some good that came of the pain our former friends put us through; each failed relationship ended up serving as an object lesson in bad behavior for our kids. To whit:

• Don't Promise What You Won't Deliver
• Doing the Right Thing Will Often Cause Resentment
• Live Up to Your End of a Bargain
• Be Respectful of Other's Homes and Property
• Don't Drink Excessively
• Don't Do Drugs
• Take Care of Your Responsibilities First, and Your Dreams Will Follow
• You Have a Right to Happiness, Despite What Others May Say
• "Tolerance" Does Not Equate to "Permission"
• Gender Equality Does Not Mean the Man is Always Wrong
• Being a Bully Not Only Masks Insecurity, It Usually Makes the Person a Real Unpleasant Dick
• Special Snowflakes? They Melt. (Sadly, They Usually Cause Damage in the Process)

I have to wonder if the reason my kids are so hard-working, so conscientious, and just such good people is that they saw every one of those examples up close and personal over the past decade.

By contrast, I hear from my DAVE School friends regularly, and every time we talk it's a treat. We even met Scully at the airport this past week, and spoke with her for three hours while she waited for a transfer flight. That we have such a good rapport after so many disagreements and so much time says a lot about friendships made out of the region.


LEARNING WHAT MATTERS

We've gained a lot in the past ten years. A new car, cameras, TVs, a fantastic DVD collection, and amazing computers.

They mean nothing.

What matters is family. Being there for your kids, for your spouse, and for each other is what makes life worth living.

When I look back at the decade, I don't really remember the time on a video game, or making a movie, or plugging away at work. What I remember is how my son's gap-toothed smile became the self-assured grin of a young man. I marvel at how my daughter went from the bundle in a blanket to the soccer-playing powerhouse that she is today. Most of all, though, I regret the distractions that didn't let me see those changes more closely than I did.

As we face the uncertain days ahead, let this knowledge be a source of strength: It doesn't matter what money you make, or what you can buy. What matters in the end is that you're there for your kids. If that sounds like a burden, rest assured that one day, far sooner than you'd like, they'll be moving on without you.

Make sure you've made memories with your kids that will last a lifetime. Heaven knows, I wish I had done more of that.

Here's to another chapter in our lives.


Tony Bruno
31 December 2009

Top Ten Video Games of the Decade (2000 - 2009)

This has been one hell of a decade. We've seen our economy boom, then crash. We've seen our shores attacked, and our armies march off to war. We've seen our captains of industry revealed to be no more ethical and honest than the rail barons of the Old West. It was truly the best of times, and the worst of times.

It makes sense, then, to start of my decade worth of reminiscing with my own top ten list of video games of the decade.

My criteria for selection was simple:

• The game had to be fun
• The game had to be innovative
• The game had to have an impact on the field

No, there isn't a complex scoring system at work here. Instead, I'm doing something wacky as an editorial writer and just "calling it as I see it." That seemed to work well for a few hundred years before now. No need to re-invent that particular wheel.

That all being said, let's dive into my list!


10. Knights of the Old Republic



BioWare proved itself to once again understand the fine art of both storytelling and game design by giving players a compelling Star Wars adventure. Set some 4,000 years before the movies that created Lucas' personal empire, the game managed to feel familiar and fresh at the same time.

Released for the original XBox in July of 2003, and for the PC in November of the same year, the game's graphics are, not so surprisingly, somewhat dated by today's standards. Regardless, the gameplay mechanic of tracking your player's actions with "Light Side" and "Dark Side" force points allowed the title to be played again and again to experience different aspects of the story.

Knights of the Old Republic is a true masterpiece of a game, and one not to be missed.


9. Fallout3




Fallout3 is the rare Role Playing Game that manages to play just as well on the console as it does on the PC. Set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, it allows the player such an enormous amount of freedom that no two runs through the story need be in any way similar. Be a paragon of justice in one game, or a bottom-feeding miscreant another, the title allows both.

Though its older cousin Oblivion also provided much the same possibilities in a fantasy setting (and also plays just as well on a console as a PC), Fallout3 polishes every level of presentation to perfection. This is a must-have game for the RPG player in your home, and one that will be played well into the twenty-teens.

8. Empire Earth Series






The Empire Earth series never got the due it deserved. What other real time strategy game allowed a player to move their civilization from the stone age to giant fighting robots? Solid graphical presentation, deep, addictive gameplay, and a good soundtrack made this title a blast for the NerdPod in the past few years.

There were plenty of other fantastic RTS titles over the past decade. Supreme Commander was a solid title for those with the hardware. Rise of Nations was terrific in its use of nation's borders. Even Warhammer 40,000 was a blast. None of them, though, managed to give the player the sense that their little-people empire was theirs to grow, to protect, and to expand. And hey! You could even throw nukes without a pesky "Armageddon" timer stopping your game, as in Rise of Nations. What's not to love?

Available now in many bargain bins, this title is one your RTS player deserves to play.

7. Battlefield Series (1942, Road to Rome, Vietnam, etc.,)



First person shooters were old hat for PC players in 2002, when Battlefield 1942 was first released. The heady days of Doom, Quake, and Duke Nuken 3D had long since taught players the joy of W-A-S-D-ing their way through bad guys and cool environments. What, aside from some nifty graphical updates, was left to be done?

Simple: Make those plastic army toys we all got as kids come to life, and let us play war with them.

The Battlefield series is nothing more than a twenty-first century version of lining up all of your army guys on the floor, grabbing your toy airplanes and tanks, and going at it. Except, of course, you get to be one of your army guys, fly one of your planes, and drive those tanks. Oh, there are rules and objectives, sure, but in the end, the game is all about just diving in, blowing stuff up, and stopping the enemy.

The Battlefield series represents the best, most polished approach to a simple combat game on the market: Make it simple, make it fun, and make it satisfying.

6. City of Heroes



In these days when World of Warcraft has become synonymous with the initials "MMO", it's easy to forget what a splash Cryptic Studios (now NCSoft's) superhero RPG made on the market in 2004. The editors for PC Gamer magazine listed it in their "now playing" section for months, and even people who never touched an MMO before gave it a try.

There's no mystery why City of Heroes was such an initial success. This was the first MMO where even the average person could get the premise. You were a superhero. The people robbing citizens on the street? Those were bad guys. You needed to stop them.

The game mixed creativity and instant gratification into a heady mix. Your superhero looked cool immediately. The first bad guys you fought? They were thugs with weapons. You started the game leaping over tall fences with ease, and running faster than the average car.

Unfortunately, the game had play balance issues later in the title. Once players hit their mid-twenties, the missions petered off and became a grindfest. Add in no end-of-game content, and the title gradually lost popularity.

Nevertheless, City of Heroes served as the first MMO that sparked interest in non-gamers around the world.

5. Grand Theft Auto III




Nihilistic. Offensive. Crude. All of these things are true of the Grand Theft Auto series, and the third title in particular. Nevertheless, the game taught the world that titles didn't need to lead them by the nose for the player to enjoy. Instead, large, living 'sandbox' worlds were just as viable an option.

Other titles have taken improved on this formula since. Bethesda's Oblivion allows players to enjoy the world on their own terms. They can ignore the story if they like and make their own fortunes and adventures as they see fit. Heck, if they're not careful, they can even become vampires or werewolves, and have to deal with those curses. Though this kind of freedom was always available in Bethesda's RPG titles, it was GTA III that showed the world at large that it was a viable design option.

4. Sims2 Franchise




Imagine a dollhouse where your toys come to life.

Imagine a dollhouse where you can design and build every part of your doll's experience.

Imagine a dollhouse where your dolls can run businesses, own pets, even go out on dates.

If it sounds boring to you, then there are 13 million sales that beg to differ. For good or for ill, the Sims2 franchise brought less-objective based, and more "toy"-themed gaming to the masses.

All evidence suggests that one of the biggest reasons the game sold so well was that young girls purchased it or received it as presents. Judging by browsing some of the Sims2 forums, this is almost certainly true. As politically incorrect as it may sound to say out loud, providing a good game for the female demographic was something that just had to happen. The Sims2 was that title.

As a game, it's a mixed bag. Frustrating by today's standards (why can a Sim know how to pour cereal, but not know to go pee without being told), the game is strangely compelling. One can't help anthropomorphizing their little avatars as they go through their interpersonal struggles.

The Sims2 changed the way the games market looked at "toybox" games, the female demographic, and even what could be called a "game" at all. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing is left entirely to the reader.

3. Halo Trilogy



Let's get this right out in the open: I'm not that crazy about Halo. Even when first released, I thought its attempt to tell a story via a first person shooter was a pale imitation of Valve's Half-Life. As a first person shooter, I found its XBox controls maddening, and clunky. Frankly, I was worried that the game might be considered a turkey for Microsoft's new gaming console.

Wow, was I wrong.

While Halo might have been nothing new for a gaming nerd like me, it was a revelation to an entire galaxy of new-to-consoles players. Halo and its sequels sucked players into a science fiction world that would feel equally at home in the pages of a Heinlein novel or a Cameron screenplay.

Most importantly, though, with the advent of Halo2, the non-PC crowd would suddenly experience something we PC players had been enjoying for nearly a decade: Competitive multiplayer first person shooter action. Though old news to us, the console crowd was stunned and excited at once, and a new sport was born.

Though the titles are slowly fading into the past, one will forever equate the days of Halo with the first decade of the twenty-first century. That, alone, is an enormous accomplishment.

2. Wii Sports



There is not a single game in Wii Sports that is particularly exceptional. What makes the title stand out is that it was the first collection of minigames that the whole family genuinely wanted to play.

What made Wii Sports so exciting was, of course, the Wii's unique interface system. By now, of course, we all realize that the control is reading "waggle" movements, and not genuine swings, and throws, and thrusts. At the time, though, we didn't know, nor did we care. All we knew is that we could hand the controller to grandma, say, "Let's bowl!", and within seconds she was playing right along side you.

Even more exciting, Wii Sports made people try the real world games they were playing on screen. In my case, I took up and loved, loved, loved golf because of this little bundled-in mini-game. Let's face it; any game that gets us off of our asses and moving is worth every cent.

1. World of Warcraft




My son and I find the PC Gaming aisle at our local Best Buy to be a depressing place. We walk down the barely row-long collection of titles and shake our heads. We mutter that we remember when this area was over two rows long, and filled with exciting games we might try out. Alas, those days are gone.

Then, inevitably, one of us mutters these words: "Thanks, World of Warcraft."

Without a doubt, World of Warcraft is the most successful video game of all time. Eleven million subscribers. Two expansions. A devoted player base. Heck, there's even an incredibly well-attended gaming convention dedicated to the title every year. What other video game can make those claims with a straight face?

There's no mystery as to why World of Warcraft is so successful. Blizzard -- the game's design firm -- polished, re-polished, then re-polished the game in beta for months before release. They studied the successes and failures of titles like EverQuest, Dark Age of Camelot, and others, and included those lessons learned in their design documents. The result was a title so devoted to simple, addictive fun that anybody -- and we mean anybody -- could pick it up and start enjoying the gameplay within minutes.

Blizzard also made the technical decision to make the game hardware friendly. While its immediate competitor EverQuest2 was a power-hungry behemoth of a game in 2004, World of Warcraft could be played and enjoyed on a moderately-powered laptop. Result? A much larger potential customer base. Add in the fact that $15.00 / month got the average players dozens of hours worth of entertainment per month, and it was even a good deal.

Unfortunately, the incredible success of World of Warcraft spelled the end of many single player games. Why keep an entire development staff on-hand for "old-style" game, when all the kids were playing that online stuff. The result? Many studios closed their doors, and the game selection suffered as a result.

Most industry experts agree that World of Warcraft has likely peaked now. With new titles like BioWare's Star Wars: The Old Republic offering more compelling gameplay options, subscription numbers will inevitably start to slip. Nevertheless, the world will always remember Azeroth as the first place we all escaped to that really didn't exist.

2009: The NerdPod's Year of Entertainment in Review

Given the darker turn of events midway though the year, it might be surprising that I even have a "Year of Entertainment" review. Well, not only did the NerdPod have a year of good entertainment, it was possibly the best year we've had in a while.

Let's dive in, shall we?


"This is the Best Fantasy Novel I've Ever Played!" -- BEST VIDEO GAME STORY OF THE YEAR

Just Another Day at Work


Winner: Dragon Age: Origins

There's a lot to love about Dragon Age: Origins (DAO):

• The quality writing
• The complex political plot
• The honest-to-its-nature Fantasy Story

Every one of these elements are top-notch. Nevertheless, they don't hold a candle to this single fact: Despite muddy graphics, poor camera control, and crappy combat controls, I finished "Dragon Age: Origins" on an XBox360.

By now it's well-known in gaming circles that DAO should really only be played on a PC. Nevertheless, by the time I realized this fact, I was so sucked into the story that I wanted -- nay, needed -- to see my character through to the very end of the story.

DAO is a shining example of everything that developer BioWare does right in Role Playing Games. Though the thrust of the story is straightforward enough (a great evil is once again upon the land, and you and your band of misfits have to stop it in its tracks), the choices you are forced to make are anything but. You're constantly faced with shades-of-gray choices that challenge your personal ethics and even make you feel uncomfortable. How often does a video game do that?

Even better, the character interactions in your party of four are terrific. Rarely has a video game actually made me laugh out loud with its dialogue. DAO manages to do that, and do it well.

Gameplay on the PC is inspired. The title manages to be both cinematic and powerful, while also allowing the player to feel like they're managing a fun tabletop role playing game from their youth. If, you know, your tabletop miniatures actually came to life and kicked the crap out of each other for your amusement.

Perhaps the biggest compliment I can give DAO is this: I'm playing the game through again on the PC. Short of Sid Meier's Pirates!, and Fallout3, I can't think of any other RPG title that I've played more than once in my tweny-three years of video game playing. It really is that good.
Runners Up: Fallout3 and Mass Effect

Yes, I know, I had both of these titles on my list last year. They're here again because I actually played Fallout3 from start to finish on my new Xbox360, thus seeing the full game experience, and I finally completed Mass Effect. Both titles are terrific, and a solid addition to any RPG library.


"LOOK! UP IN THE SKY! IT'S A BIRD! IT'S A PLANE! NO, WAIT...IT'S JUST BORING!" -- BIGGEST GAMING DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE YEAR

Winner: Champions Online

Wow, I Wish the Actual Game Was As Cool As That Screenshot

I loved City of Heroes. I mean, seriously, I was crazy, crazy in love with that game from 2004 - 2005. Really, it was a little unhealthy.

Allow me to explain: My most embarrassing gaming memory of my life comes from my time playing this game. It was an insanely hot day in July of 2004. Not a cloud in the sky. People were outside sunning themselves, or spraying their kids with water. So, what did SpousalGoddess and I do? We closed the windows and shades in the office and spent the day fighting criminals in Paragon City. We played until the sun went down.

Yes, folks, I am embarrassed and ashamed of that day. I've since vowed to not let it happen again.

Regardless, that's the pull the game had on us back in those heady, before-the-economic-meltdown days in 2004.

With that understood, it is thus logical that I had high hopes for Champions: Online. It had the right pedigree. (The same company, Cryptic Studios, created the title.) It had exactly the kind of ridiculous character generation system that I loved. Surely, this would essentially be City of Heroes 2.0.

Wow, was I wrong.

Champions Online is to City of Heroes what wheat is to breakfast cereal. Sure, both are edible, but only the latter gives you a satisfying experience. Muddled, messy, difficult, and, worst of all, just plain boring, Champions Online is a massive misfire. I never, ever felt like a superhero playing the game. Instead, I felt like a freak, surrounded by other freaks, doing boring missions to satisfy yet more freaks.

Yawn.

I have never started an RPG and bailed even before the first month was done before. Champions Online was the first.

Avoid.



Runner-Up: EVE Online

Ooh! If I'm Lucky, Maybe They'll Let Me Play With Actuarial Tables Next!

I tried another two week trial of "Spreadsheets in Space", aka EVE Online. It still sucks. Unless you're an accountant who loves, loves, loves time-sinks and number-crunching, just avoid this mess.


"THIS IS SO COOL IT HURTS!" -- BEST ENTERTAINMENT PURCHASE OF 2009

Winner: XBox360 Elite

Small Black Box. Pounds and Pounds of Awesome.

Yes, I know, we've had an XBox360 in the NerdPod since the Night of Freezing Buttcheeks and Angry Drunks in 2005. What readers may not realize, however, is that the XBox360 we purchased that night is my son's, and as such is used by his friends and my daughter. Result? We never really got to play with it all that much. That's why, in October of this year, I asked for my very own XBox360 for my birthday. Suitably employed, and with coffers fattened by 3D gigs, we got one.

And lo, it is awesome.

The XBox360 isn't merely a fantastic gaming platform. It isn't just a terrific way to watch NetFlix on Demand in HD in the living room. It's a genuine entertainment system that manages to offer something to everyone in the house.

That's pretty amazing.

I also credit the 360 with allowing me to finish longer RPGs. There is something infinitely more relaxing about playing certain RPGs on the couch, relaxed, in a well-lit, large room, than there is about playing the same game on a 22" monitor in a relative cave of an office. The result is that I'm finishing titles more now than I ever have.

That alone is worth the purchase price.

Yes, I know that the PS3 has Blu-Ray. Yes, I know it's finally priced to a point that isn't ridiculous. That doesn't matter. All I know is that I can play games with my son downstairs and me upstairs, and then switch over to watch shows on Netflix with barely a lick of effort.

Yep. I freaking love my XBox360

Runner Up: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 for the Wii

One Image, So Many Jokes...

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 for the Wii is fantastic. It actually did improve my real-world putting and driving game so much that it paid for itself. Loved, loved, loved this title.


"FOR EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON..." - BIGGEST CHANGE OF DESIRE OF 2009

Winner: Complex Table-Top Role Playing Games

I started a "Star Trek" Role Playing Game earlier this year. It was great. Complex system contro panels were created for players to manage their starships. Maps were drawn out, first in Photoshop, and then using the Java-based Maptool system. Interactive player maps and homemade game logic were added to bring the game right to the players fingertips. It was, without a doubt, the most complex RPG experience I'd ever tried to create for my players.

Only one problem, though: When the time came to actually play the game, I was too exhausted to start.

In the game's defense, my job is almost certainly to blame for this condition. Working 14 hour days for an uncaring firm doesn't generally leave one energetic enough to face a gaming table. Returning to on-call work was also a factor. Nevertheless, I found myself coming to a sobering realization: I just don't have the energy I did in my twenties to spin yarns around a table for my players.

I still don't know how I feel about this change. Whether its permament, or a reflection of an insane work schedule remains to be seen. Nevertheless, for the time being, I'm forced to make this adjustment in my life.

Runner-Up: Filmmaking

I loved making movies in the earlier part of this decade. Unfortunately, the effort involved is so tremendous, so heart-breakingly exhausting that I can no longer throw myself willy-nilly into projects.

The past year did a lot to teach me why my Stone Soup Films partners and I were never treated well locally, despite always saying "We're doing this for fun," and, just as often "We don't know what we're doing, but we decided to do it anyway!" I now understand that, since none of us came from the Minnesota College of Art and Design, or Brown College, or any of the other local programs, our cinematic efforts were insulting. Not because they were particularly bad, but because we dared to actually produce films instead of just talk about them. For shame!

I don't have the time in my life to deal with such silliness any longer. Let others deal with the political side of the Minnesota creative scene. Me? I'll just work on producing.

All of this means that no, I'm not giving up the field. I'm just becoming much more focused on small projects than I ever was. But the days of huge Stone Soup Films productions as volunteer efforts? Those are now a thing of the past.


"MAKE IT SO" - MOST EXCITING GAMING TITLE OF 2010


Winner: Star Trek: Online

Dedicated readers will remember an article I wrote outlining how I would design a "Star Trek" MMO. It turns out that Cryptic came to many of the same conclusions as well. The result is the first MMO I've looked forward to with real excitement since Pirates of the Burning Sea.

Unfortunately, just as Pirates of the Burning Sea was eventually torpedoed by its player-versus-player (PvP) nature, Star Trek: Online may suffer the same fate. With the Klingon faction only able to level via PvP missions, I worry that the game will rapidly became Star Trek: GankQuest.

Nevertheless, just knowing that within weeks I'll have my own virtual starship to command is enough to make me all happy inside.

Here's to seeing you on the outskirts of Federation Space in 2010!

That's SIR Patrick Stewart To You!

The news is out: Former RSC member, starship captain, and school-for-the-gifted actor Patrick Stewart will be knighted.

With this honor about to be bestowed on this man, I figured the world needed a little taste of what makes him such an awesome actor:

The Picard Song | Viral/Other | SPIKE.com

All kidding aside, congratulations, Mr. Stewart. You deserve it.

Five Things -- 2009 List

1. Name Five Good Things That Happened to You in 2009:

1. I was paid for 3D modeling and animation work
2. I was paid to create a video for a great client
3. I saw my son sing on stage as a lead in a musical
4. I had an animation I created open up CONVergence 2008
5. I landed a full time job in a very tough economy

2. Name Five Bad Things That Happened to You in 2009:

1. SpousalGoddess was hospitalized and diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis
2. Had to leave 3D work behind because of lack of steady clients
3. Was unable to land a 3D / VFX job in the industry
4. Had a massive relapse of my sleep issues due to my full-time job
5. Had two of my wife's family members pass away within weeks of each other

3. Name Five People Who Have Touched You in a Special Way in 2009:

1. My family: We had the toughest year we've every faced, and we held together through it all.
2. Penmaster and Raven: The way they dropped everything to be with us during the initial diagnosis speaks more to their bond with this family than any words ever can.
3. MagicMarmot: The way he helped my wife at the hospital will never be forgotten by any of us.
4. My Parents: I've used them as a sounding board so much this year that I nearly feel like a teenager again. Believe it or not, that's a good thing.
5. Shannon: He saw how bad things were at my current job, and swept in to land me another offer. I didn't take it, but it still felt great to have him help me out like that.

4. Name Five Things You Achieved in 2009:

1. Landed my first paying 3D gigs
2. Learned Maya
3. Learned Modo
4. Learned After Effects
5. Got paid to shoot and edit a video series

5. What Were The Results Of The Five Things You Wanted to Achieve in 2009?

Land my first professional 3D job.

Did it. Paid dirt -- as, honestly, all of them did -- but still enough to be called an income.

It felt fantastic.

Learn Maya.

Gnomon Online turned out to be a waste of time and money. Such a waste, in fact, that I quit after three weeks. (I'm still waiting for my refund from them, thank you very much!) By contrast, just following online tutorials and two Maya books turned out to be a win.

Maya, by the way, is incredible. It makes LightWave look every bit the ancient tool that it is in today's industry.

Lose ten more pounds.

I did...but not in a good way. Weight loss due to my wife being in the hospital is not something I care to repeat.

Go to the West Coast.

Was planning on heading out in April of 2009. Spousal's diagnosis stopped that.

Work outside of the region.

With one exception, all of my work in 3D and VFX has been for clients out of the region.

6. Name Five Things You'd Like to Achieve in 2010:

Get off of on-call work

I left IT on-call work in 2005 for a reason. Unfortunately, four years of healthy living made me forget that reason.

Not again.

Land more and better paying 3D gigs

I love 3D. I love the work to death. I will not walk away from it. No matter the job I do, I will always do it on the side.

Help my son move to college

I hate writing the words, but his mind is made up. He wants to move out. Come June of this year, all I can say is "I wish you wouldn't but it's your decision."

I dread that day. I have, honestly, since the day he was born. But it's part of being a father.
Nevertheless, I couldn't be more proud of my son if I tried.

Finish the "Boreas" trailer

You ain't seen nothin' yet.

Really.

Get my family together for a final NerdPod Big Trip Somewhere

Realizing that my son is 17, that he's headed to college soon, made me realize that we need to travel together while we can.

No matter what, in the next few months we're going somewhere. Don't know where, but we are.

7. What was your new year's resolution for 2009, and how did it turn out?

"Land a job in my chosen field and take the first real steps to get the NerdPod out of here. "

The first one I did.

The second? Cut short by the sudden discovery of my wife's condition.

Now that we've had time to adjust -- and now that Spousal has shown such a good reaction to her meds, and such a wonderful recovery -- that desire to relocate to a warmer climate is back in full force.

8. What is your new year's resolution/what would you like from 2010?

• Health for my wife
• A good college for my son
• A more stable, more balanced work-life balance
• A better idea of how we can achieve our long-term goals

2009: A Year in Review

NOTE: This marks the sixth time that I've answered these questions at the end of the year.

1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?

• Ran my own 3D VFX and motion graphics business
• Got paid for 3D work
• Got paid to direct and edit a video
• Gave a presentation on 3D modeling and animation to a game development group
• Faced the four mile cross-country ski trail with no problems
• Did visual compositing work on a green screen stage
• Worked at a local studio (for a day, sure, but it was still cool)
• Wrote functioning Linux scripts
• Created character animations in Maya
• Modeled in Maya
• Modeled in Blender

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

Yes.

I promised to get paid for 3D work. I did.

I promised to learn Maya. I did…though not as much as I'd hoped.

I promised myself in my darkest hour that I'd do what I needed to do to take care of my family. I did.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

No.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Close to my family, yes. My wife's Uncle Leo, and her Grandma Minnie -- both of whom I met for the one and only time during a trip down south in March, 2005 -- passed away within weeks of each other. With everything else that happened this year, it just made things worse.

5. What countries did you visit?

Minnesota should count.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?

Same as last year:

• A 3D or VFX-related job.
• Another movie project.
• A regular gaming group.
• A real idea of where we'll live next.

7. What date(s) from 2009 will remain etched your memory, and why?

February 2008:

• Landing my first paying 3D gig. One week's work, for a whopping $500.00.

March 2009:

• Landing three other paying 3D gigs.
• Earned nearly the equivalent of my two-week paycheck at Zhe Chermain Khompanie doing something I loved, all from home.

April 2009:

• SpousalGoddess was hospitalized with weakness on her right side, and loss of fine motor control in her right hand. Initial diagnosis: Multiple Sclerosis. Our world was turned upside down.
• Lack of MS antibodies had her diagnosis delayed. Her workplace was amazing. I was a wreck. I started looking for any job I could find.
• Penmaster and Raven came to visit, and acted as incredible moral support.

May 2009:

• Landed a month-long 3D gig for a major company out east. Got paid a good amount, too.
• Shot a training video for a friend for pay, and started editing the product.
• SpousalGoddess had a relapse, and was sent back to the hospital for follow-up. The Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis stuck, and she was started on her medication.

June 2009:

• Interviewed at several different companies
• Landed another 3D gig, originally planned for 150 hours, but scaled back rapidly to far less.
• Saw my 3D Demo reel and artwork highlighted on Foundation3D.com.
• Became used to seeing MonkeyDude with his not-girlfriend girlfriend of the time.

July 2009:

• Landed my current job. IT again, but with a schedule I thought I could work. I would turn out to be wrong, thanks to my sleep problems.

August 2009:

• SpousalGoddess' three month follow-up MRI reveals her lesions receding slightly. It's good news.

September 2009:

• Started a "Star Trek" RPG that, unfortunately, fell by the wayside due to my frequent 14 hour workdays.
• Offered another, much higher-paying Linux job with another firm. Turned it down due to concerns about the after-hours load the job would require. Smart move.
• MonkeyDude entered a relationship. His girlfriend is talented, and sweet.
• MonkeyDude developed Mono. He has to drop out of his job in "Little Shop of Horrors" as the lead puppeteer for "Audrey II" to recover.
• MonkeyDude is cast as "Scrooge" in "A Christmas Carol". (Interestingly, none of us are asked back to work on "Klingon Christmas Carol.")

October 2009:

• Turned 43, and got an XBox360. Amazed at how truly cool the console turns out to be.

November 2009:

• Finished "Fallout3" on the XBox360. Finishing games on the XBox is a delight, both comfortable and relaxing.
  
• Started work on "Boreas" trailer project.
• Health symptoms I'd not encountered since 2004 and 2005 appeared, all related to shift-work fatigue. Realized something had to be done.
• MonkeyDude starts narrowing his college search down.
• Learned that a longtime friend of mine had not merely cut off contact with us, but with everyone he knew. Missing him. Hope he's doing well.
• Finished "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" campaign on the XBox360. Short, but fun.
  

December 2009:

• After four solid weeks of after-hours work -- including during weeks when not on-call -- I hit my physical wall. All of my pre-sleep disorder management ailments returned with a vengeance. SpousalGoddess was reduced to caring for me, not the other way around.
• Realized this situation couldn't stand. Contacted doctors and was advised to seek adjustment of schedule.
• Learned that my sleep disorders are covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Requested accommodation accordingly.
• SpousalGoddess' six month MRI results show yet more improvement. Huge news.
• MonkeyDude starred as Scrooge in "A Christmas Carol". He can sing. We're shocked and pleased.
• "A Christmas Carol" ends MonkeyDude's High School Theater career. Just one more reminder that he'll be gone soon.
  

8. What were your biggest achievements of the year?

• Was paid to do work I loved
• Finished a video training series
• Finished a series of animations for major firms
• Made connections in the freelance 3D industry
• When needed, landed a job in an incredibly tough economy to help take care of my family

9. What were your biggest failures?

• Had to leave 3D behind to earn a steady paycheck for the family.
• Did not hold composure well during the days following SpousalGoddess' diagnosis
• Did not focus on learning Maya
• Did not learn ZBrush
• Did not finish the trailer animatic
• Did not see my family
• Did not write fiction of any kind
• Was unable to build a steady stream of clients to my business
• Was unable to push beyond my Sleep Disorders to maintain my current position

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

With the return of on-call and no-notice after hours work, all of my sleep-related symptoms returned. Given my need to support my wife on a no-notice basis, this cannot stand.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

• SpousalGoddess' medicine
• Maya
• XBox360 Elite
• Additional Hard Drives
• DragonAge: Origins

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

• SpousalGoddess: Despite being diagnosed with MS, she's pressing on. She refuses to let the disease slow her down (though the family I will do that for her.) She's my hero, in more ways than one.
• MonkeyDude: He's come into his own. He wants to get a degree "no matter what", and will. He took a job back at a place he didn't like when Spousal was initially diagnosed, to help the family out. He's shown great patience and responsibility. He's a great guy.
  
• SportyGirl: When things were darkest after SpousalGoddess' initial diagnosis, Sporty looked at me and said "All family's have challenges. This is just ours." Yes, she really is that amazing.
• MagicMarmot: He held my wife's hand and helped her into her hospital room while I went home to tell my children that our lives had changed. He stood by her side, made her laugh, and held her when she cried. I can't express how much that means to me.
• Garrett: He showed up at the hospital when Spousal was first admitted, and stood by my family and I every step of the way. He's focused on atoning for the past, and building a better future. If anybody can do it, he can.
• Penmaster and Raven: They showed up here in Minneapolis on a moment's notice to help me with SpousalGoddess. No questions asked. These are friends for a lifetime.
• GeminiTwin: Despite struggling without a job since graduation -- the LightWave curse has caught him, too -- he's maintained a positive attitude and focus. I'm proud of him.
• RedFro: He's supportive. He's focused. Amazing guy. Miss he and GeminiTwin daily.
• My Wife's Boss: She was amazing during the diagnosis. She stood by my wife, and made sure she rested. She covered my wife for time she was off without ever involving HR, and thus her vacation and sick time. Truly a fantastic leader.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?


President Obama:

There was only one ethical way to handle the Nobel Prize debacle: Politely decline, and allow those who truly earned the nomination to receive it. When he accepted it, I was stunned and dismayed.

That's not the only reason I'm disappointed. His amazing lack of conviction on all of the big issues that got him elected (Health Care? Iraq?) has made me realize that the lyric "Meet the old boss, same as the new boss," applies.

I guess M. T. Reiten's "United Corporations of America" came to life a little earlier than expected.

Corporate Leadership:

Watching companies abuse their people because they know they can is disgusting.

Minneapolis Creative Agencies:

So, do you want to hire experience and skill, or a nice rack?

Wait; why am I even asking this question?

14. Where did most of your money go?

• Hospital Bills
• Christmas Presents
• XBox360

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

• SpousalGoddess coming home from the hospital
• Working in 3D
• "Star Trek" 2009
• "Avatar"
• Learning Maya
• Watching my son sing on stage
• Landing a job
• Seeing David Tennant regenerate into Matt Smith on "Doctor Who". (sniff)

16. What song(s) will always remind you of 2009?

• The "Star Trek" soundtrack
• Journey
• Jonathon Coulton
  
• "What's the Rumpus" -- Gaelic Storm

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

i. happier or sadder?

Sadder.

ii. thinner or fatter?

Fatter. The after hours work plays hell with my metabolism.

iii. richer or poorer?

Richer. Earning a good paycheck helps.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?

• Exercised.
• Maya
• Played with the kids.
• Played board games.
• Written.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

Worried. Period.


20. How will you be spending Christmas?

At home playing board games and XBox360 with the kids.

22. Did you fall in love in 2009?

Only with SpousalGoddess.

23. How many one-night stands?

None.

24. What was your favorite TV program?

"Big Bang Theory": I know all of those people. Heck, I AM some of those people
"Supernatural": What an incredible show. How did I miss this?
"Dollhouse": The second season is the show I actually wanted to watch.
"Star Wars: The Clone Wars": Clever little morality tales wrapped in "Star Wars" juice. What's not to like?
"Legend of the Seeker": Cheesy? Sure. But I enjoy it.

24b. Shows that let you down?

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA:

Wow, did that ending suck or what?

I tried to like it. Really, I did. But ending a show where the Cylons "had a plan", only to find out they didn't, and that off-screen "god" was responsible for all of the plot holes and mysteries was an enormous let-down.

Fail, Ron Moore. Epic fail.

SMALLVILLE:

Look! Clark is Neo!

Yawn.

TRUE BLOOD:

Season 2 started out really good, only to end with a "Battlestar Galactica"-level whimper. Lame.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?

Who has the time and energy to hate?

26. What was the best book you read?

"The God Delusion" -- Richard Dawkins

27. What was/were your greatest musical discoveries?

What is "music"?

28. What did you want and get?

• 3D work
• Self Esteem
• Time to Golf
• Time with my kids
• Time with my wife

30. What was your favorite film of this year?

Nothing really stands out.

Star Trek

Pretty and fun, but so intensely dumb and disrespectful of the source material that I kind of hated it.

District 9

Entertaining, and a refreshing break from Megan Fox, but quickly forgotten.

Zombieland

Funny, but it still felt like the TV Pilot that it was originally going to be. Not that this is a bad thing; it's just that it wasn't as compelling a movie as I've seen in past years.

UP

Lovely film, but not Pixar's triumph. I found its honest-to-the-point-of-heartbreak look at a lifelong relationship opening sequence to be a really jarring counterpoint to silly giant birds and dogs with talking collars. Though infinitely better than Wall-E, I wasn't in love with it, either.

Watchmen

Should have been great. Instead, it was just a really pretty, but oddly soulless cinematic experience. Besides, its source material was so hopelessly dated now (the Cold War?) that the movie didn't have anything really to say to modern audiences. So, while I liked the final product, I found it generally to be somehow lacking.

Avatar

The only movie that surprised me this year. Not by its story; seriously, it was just "Dances With Ferngully". No, it was the fact that I didn't care that it was "Dances With Ferngully" that made me so happy. Add in a really terrific use of 3D Z-depth on the screen, and I loved the cinematic experience.

Alas, I don't know how it will play on the small screen. Like Star Wars before it, Avatar is really meant for the big screen. Something tells me the shock-and-awe of the experience will be greatly diminished, even on a 40" LCD TV.

So far, this year has been one big, fat "Meh" in the world of filmmaking.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I was on-call and working, but I got an XBox360. I'm forty-three.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Getting a technically creative job.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?

Business casual.

34. What kept you sane?

• My kids.
• My wife.
• My parents.
• Getting into the sun as much as possible.
• My "Boreas" trailer project
• Fallout3 and DragonAge: Origins
• Building and animating stuff in LightWave and Maya.
• My friends, both near and far

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Right now? Bridget Regan from "Legend of the Seeker". Gorgeous.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?

The stuttering crash that has been the Obama Presidency so far. Really, we elected a man for change, and got "More of the Same". Cripes.

37. Who did you miss?

• My parents
• John and Heidi Gieser
• Penmaster and Raven
• MadMartian
  
• DaveGuy

38. Who was the best new person you met?

Um…next?

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009:

Life is too short to sweat the little things. Live, love, and laugh. That's what counts.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:

"Regrets
I've had a few
But then again
Too few to mention

I did
What I had to do
And saw it through
Without exemption

I've lived
A life that's full
I've travelled each and every byway
But more
Much more than this
I did it
My way"

-- My Way